Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Larval cyathostomiasis as a cause of death in two regularly dewormed horses.
- Journal:
- Zentralblatt fur Veterinarmedizin. Reihe A
- Year:
- 1995
- Authors:
- Van Loon, G et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Biology of Large Animals
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Two horses were brought to the vet because they were losing weight and one had swelling under the skin and diarrhea. They lived with other healthy horses and had been dewormed regularly. Blood tests showed low protein levels, but tests for worm eggs in their poop came back negative, and no larvae were found. Sadly, despite aggressive treatment, both horses died, and a thorough examination after death showed they had severe inflammation in their intestines caused by many dormant cyathostome larvae (a type of small worm).
Abstract
Two horses were presented with complaints of chronic weight loss and subcutaneous oedema, one of them presenting diarrhoea. Both animals were grazed with other unaffected horses, all of them being regularly dewormed. Blood chemistry revealed hypoalbuminaemia and a low albumin-globulin ratio. Faecal egg counts were negative and no cyathostome larvae could be found in the faeces. Neither of these horses could be saved, despite intensive treatment. Postmortem examination revealed severe typhlitis and colitis due to numerous inhibited cyathostome larvae.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8578904/